Scope and arrangement
The Martin Worman papers, the bulk of which dates from 1960 to 1993, document Worman's theatrical and academic careers, the history of the Cockettes, drag, travesty theatre, and San Francisco in the early 1970s. The collection is arranged into four series covering Worman's personal life, productions he was involved with, the Cockettes, and his academic career. Worman's personal papers in the collection survey his childhood, youth, military career, and adult life. The series contains correspondence, biographical materials, writings, military, and legal documents. The extensive production files relate to Worman's theatrical endeavors, as writer, actor, and director. The series includes scripts, sheet music, publicity ephemera, programs, photographs, research notes, and recordings of performances, rehearsals, and demos of songs. The Cockettes series documents the group's productions and includes photographs, ephemera, and recordings of music, shows, and films. Notably, the series contains Worman's research for his dissertation on the Cockettes, which includes eighty recorded interviews with former Cockettes, many of which have accompanying transcripts. Also present are draft versions of Worman's dissertation. The academic files chronicle his activities as student, instructor, and scholar at Antioch College and New York University.
The Martin Worman papers are arranged in four series:
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1960-19932.5 linear feet (6 boxes). 11 audio files. 2 video files
This series contains personal correspondence and candid photographs; biographies, interviews, and obituary notices for Worman, including audio recordings of Worman's memorial; publications edited by Worman while he was in high school, college, and the military; and notes, notebooks, lyrics, and verses. There are also recordings of memorials for friends and former Cockettes members. This series also includes official documentation of Worman's military service, as well as his appointment books.
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1960-19934.17 linear feet (10 boxes). 25 audio files
This series consists of files for productions which Worman appeared in, directed, wrote, assistant directed, or worked on in any capacity, from the early 1970s through the early 1990s. The production files include such items as scripts, sheet music, lyric sheets, notes, outlines, and background research; programs, agreements, photographs, and correspondence; and clippings, flyers, posters, and other publicity ephemera. Audio recordings of performances and rehearsals are also included. The productions covered most extensively are Crimes Against Nature, The Dear Love of Comrades and Prairie Solitaire. Also included is documentation collected by Robert Croonquist on Reno Besides Myself, written and performed by Reno, and dedicated to Worman's memory.
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1969-20083.78 linear feet (9 boxes, 4 oversize folders). 166 audio files. 11 video files
This series focuses on the psychedelic drag theatre group, the Cockettes, who performed primarily in San Francisco from 1970 to 1972, and includes production files on many of the Cockettes San Francisco shows, their New York engagement, and their film, Tricia's Wedding. The files consist of scripts, sheet music, lyrics, and notes; photographs; posters and clippings; and audio recordings of live performances. The photographs (originals, photocopies and slides) include production and publicity shots and candid images of the Cockettes on stage and off.
Also included are items Worman collected for his research on the Cockettes, such as correspondence, notes, and files on solo performances by various Cockettes, including disco star Sylvester; as well as Worman's dissertations and essays. Audio recordings and typed transcripts of interviews Worman conducted with other Cockettes are also held here. After Worman's death in 1993, his companion, Robert Croonquist, continued collecting and adding to Worman's archives. Croonquist's contributions on the Cockettes include information on Cockettes reunions, publicity ephemera, correspondence, a video recording of Bill Weber and David Weissman's 2002 documentary, The Cockettes, and Sweet Pam Tent's book, Midnight at the Palace: My Life as a Fabulous Cockette.
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1966-19942.08 linear feet (5 boxes). 67 audio files. 5 video files
This series focuses on Worman's academic career at New York University (NYU), University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Antioch College and consists of papers by Worman; syllabi, reading lists and course proposals; evaluations, correspondence, and administrative records; programs and papers from workshops, panels, and lectures (including Worman in his persona as "Dr. Queen"); notes and notebooks; and submissions to a collection of essays he was editing when he died, Gay Theater and Performance in the United States. For his research on drag performance, Worman attended various gay events and pageants, many of which he audio-taped with his own commentary; there are also photographs of and programs for these events. Also included is a series of lectures Worman recorded of the New York University course, Experimental Performance Since 1960, taught by Worman's mentor at NYU, Richard Schechner, a director, author, and teacher in the performance studies movement.